Triggered: NBA fan ejected after Lakers star Rondo ‘makes GUN GESTURE’ in his face, teammates clash on wild night in LA (VIDEO)

The LA Lakers fell to a second straight defeat to open the season on an eventful night at the Staples Center, where a fan was ejected after clashing with Rajon Rondo and tempers flared between Anthony Davis and Dwight Howard.

The Lakers lost 115-105 to the visiting Phoenix Suns, continuing their winless start to the new season after their opening-game defeat to the Golden State Warriors.

Friday night’s action was marred by ugly scenes on the sidelines between Lakers teammates Davis and Howard as tempers flared during a timeout with the home team behind in the second quarter.  

Footage showed Howard rising from his chair as Davis loomed over him, with Davis then grabbing his teammate by the elbow and appearing to attempt to force him back down.

Coaching staff and fellow players including LeBron James scrambled to try and defuse the situation, before Davis returned to the floor and Howard remained on the bench.

“We’re two guys who are very competitive and just want to win games,” Davis would later explain.

“It’s over with… You can look at it how you want. In house, what we do in the locker room, what we say, we keep it to ourselves. Me and DH talked about it, and we keep it at that…"

The 28-year-old added: “Me and him were trying to figure out – not just me and him, but all of us – were trying to figure something out on the defensive end.

"Something happened, he was saying one thing, I was saying another on the scheme.

“One thing led to another. We talked about it, and we left it in the locker room at half time.”

Howard later echoed those sentiments, saying the pair had "squashed" the issue.

However, the drama wasn’t done there.

Fellow Lakers star Rondo was seen clashing with a fan on the sidelines toward the end of the third quarter during a delay as attendants cleaned up a spill next to the court.

It’s unclear what led up to the incident, but the 35-year-old Rondo was seen appearing to make a gun gesture towards the fan’s head (in the bottom left of the clip below). 

The man eventually slapped Rondo’s hand away and was seen being ejected from his seat.

Online, fans, former players and pundits reacted to the combustible scenes at the Staples Center.

Lakers icon Magic Johnson tweeted his disapproval of the row involving Howard and Davis. 

“Dwight Howard and AD got into a physical altercation on the bench…in my 42 years of being associated with the Lakers organization, I’ve never seen something like that smh,” wrote the NBA legend. 

Lakers talisman James suggested after the game that frustrations had been fueled by a number of calls going against his team.

“That side, the emotional side, got to us tonight,” said James.

“That’s what happens when you’re trying to get over the hump and play perfect basketball. But we have no choice but to get better.”

The Lakers – NBA champions in 2020 – lost all six of their pre-season games before opening the season at 0-2, and next host the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday, when they will hope for calmer heads and a better result.